Grassley Releases DOJ Memo Showing Top Officials Approved ‘Arctic Frost’ Probe
- Sen. Chuck Grassley published a DOJ memo tying top officials to a probe into alleged fake electors.
- The memo shows Garland, Monaco, and Wray signed off on a Sensitive Investigative Matter labeled “Arctic Frost.”
- Republicans see this as troubling and vow continued oversight over DOJ actions surrounding Jan. 6 investigations.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, on Thursday released an April 2022 Justice Department memo showing then-Attorney General Merrick Garland, then-Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and then-FBI Director Christopher Wray personally approved an FBI investigation into alleged efforts by Trump campaign associates to obstruct Congress’ certification of the 2020 election.
Grassley posted the four-page memorandum on X, saying it proves top Biden administration officials “personally approved” the case — which he referred to as “Arctic Frost” — and that it “unleashed unchecked government power at the highest levels.”
The memo signed by Garland, Monaco, and Wray authorized the FBI’s Washington Field Office to open what the bureau designated a “Sensitive Investigative Matter.” It requested authority to examine whether people tied to the Trump campaign conspired to block Congress’ certification on Jan. 6, 2021. Republicans say this authorization shows the investigation had buy-in from the highest DOJ officials.
The executive summary reads, “Following the 2020 Presidential and Vice Presidential election, in an apparent effort to obstruct Congress’s certification of Electoral College, fraudulent certificates of electors’ votes were submitted to the Archivist of the United States, purporting to represent the actual elector votes from the states of Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and Wisconsin,” the executive summary reads. “Open source reporting and public statements made by individuals closely associated with Donald J. Trump, Inc. (Trump Campaign) present an articulable factual basis indicating the existence of a federal crime, and thus the FBI seeks to open a full investigation.
“Because this investigation involves a SIM as set forth in the Department of Justice memorandum dated February 5, 2020, entitled ‘Additional Requirements for Opening of Certain Sensitive Investigations’ (DOJ Memo), your authorization is required before WFO may initiate this full investigation,” the document continued.
Monaco wrote at the bottom of the document, “Merrick- I recommend you approve,” before initialing and dating it 4/5/22. Garland ultimately signed off on the investigation on the same day, according to the release.
The authorization came more than a year after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot and months before Special Counsel Jack Smith was tapped to lead related probes. That later probe subpoenaed phone records from several Republican senators to look at call activity around Jan. 6, which many on the right view as intrusive.
Smith subpoenaed phone records belonging to eight Republican senators and one House member for a four-day window, Jan. 4 to Jan. 7, 2021, seeking numbers, dates and durations but not call content. Targets included Sens. Marsha Blackburn, Josh Hawley and Lindsey Graham, and Sen. Ted Cruz says he learned Smith also tried to subpoena his toll records.
Smith defended the move saying the records were narrowly tailored and “entirely proper,” while his lawyers told Grassley the subpoenas followed DOJ policy and were routine. Republicans have compared Arctic Frost to Watergate and vow to keep pressing for answers about why top DOJ figures signed off and what oversight will follow.
Leave a Comment